A Whole Dang Week...or, Whaaaaaaa happened to March!

Geeze Louise, I haven't posted in nearly a week! What happened to the days? Well, I'll try not to be so remiss in the future, let me assure you.

Almost finished the Kilt Jacket and have subsequently and much to my delight taken up correspondence with my twin sister regarding "THE JACKET" as it is now known. She's getting it and in return, without my asking either..just because she wanted to, has crocheted my a really cool jacket as well....aren't we just the crafty ones? Miss Niblefingers is nearing completion of my jacket...she's quite speedy....and I am so excited to see it. She bought antique buttons for it and it's crocheted in some nice silky yarn...oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! I will post a pic once the package has arrived from Michigan.

The cotton yarn arrived yesterday for Tommy's sweater I am designing. I laboriously knitted a plethora(I like that word) of swatches in chosen patterns to get gauge and finally ended up with 7sts. to the inch on size 7 dp needles (and circular too). It will be lovely if I do say so myself!!!

I found a pattern last night for knitted stockings from the 40's....is it ever cool!!! Sure wish I lived somewhere that had some actual cold weather...sigh...but, at least I can knit for Pat, Johanna and Beth...who do live in an Arctic clime.

Margie died yesterday and I am feeling very sad. I loved her like a Mom-well, she was to me. She did so much for me and the boys when L. left us. I don't think we would have survived without her. The funeral will be Monday. I hope Andy gets back from Florida before Monday. He's there on Spring Break and we haven't been able to get in touch with him yet. Called Mama last night when I found out. Shes doing well...feisty as ever and working. Wanting to go on another trip soon, but probably won't for a little while. Hope to go see her soon

She's Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack

Went to the LYS, Dunwoody, and found out they're closing their doors next month. I am sad, I am devastated...I've only just found them. Wish I had lots of money and I could buy the place and make a go of it. All the yarn is so beautiful. The lady there is so nice and helpful. I only wish they were doing well so they could stay. I looked at all their yarn...it's just wonderful...but ended up getting one hank of Euroflax in Champagne color. I haven't got a clue as to what I will do with it...it's just a part of the stash I guess...it's really nice though. I might use just one strand of it and make a lacey scarf. It wouldn't be very big or long, but it would be quite pretty I think...kind of whispy and elegant maybe.
Well, that's all I wanted to say about that...I'm pouting.

Swatches and Knitting Euro Patterns

You know, you'd think the whole world would get one system for measurement and stick with it. A morning spent swatching a project is not my idea of a good time. I have this fabulous pattern I'm using from Drops...all of their patterns are just soooooooo gorgeous...and the swatch and pattern calls for size 7mm needles. Do you think American needles would correspond? Ohhhhh, no, of course not. I had to swatch three times before I could get gauge!!! I don't like swatching anyway. It's like exercising-uggggghhh-I just wanna get on with it. I'm excited about the yarn and how it's going to look and the pattern is awesome, but I'm swatching for at least two hours trying to get the right gauge so that I don't have, as the Yarn Harlot puts it, a house cozy instead of a jacket!!! Anyhoo, I finally got it on size 9 (5.5mm) needles and it really is lovely if I do say so myself! I've chosen a moss green bulky cotton and I found the most gorgeous pair of kids chopsticks-quite unique-to use for the fastner (avec "spare" no less!) I am quite chuffed with my choice on this one!!

Purple Kilt Jacket is progressing along. My annoyance with my huge error in counting has waned and I am once again steadily working on it. Couldn't use the yarn frogged from it but will use it on something else...thinking about a sampler afghan for all left over bits and bobs!

Ripping Great Day

Ahhh, don't you just love the feel of unraveling stitches...all the way back to cast on?? I finished up the front sides of the Ladies Kilt...indeed, it is going to my dear sister Pat, more about that later...and lo and behold when I laid it out to pin to the back, I noted that the cables were looking a tad different. What can this be? (I mused) Moi? Make an error in knitting? But, right there in front of my eyes I noted that I had indeed made a cable which was not up to par and was in fact, substandard (and short about three rows as well!!!!) Of course, wouldn't you know it, it was all the way back down to cable crossover #2 so I thought you'll never get all those stitches back on the needle with your level of frustration being what it is, so let 'er rip!!! And I took the end of the yarn and put it in the ball winder and wound that sucker right back into a nice ball of yarn....to start all over with. It's a knitters life I live. Well, last night I was too frustrated with it and looked at it several times and wanted to get the needles to it again, but didn't....maybe a bit of space betwixed myself and said ball of heathery purple softness is a good thing and I will take it up again-perhaps tonight. Meanwhile, I grabbed my #10.5's and the pink boucle and began knitting a nice little shawl to wear to the Atlanta Portrait Society's annual "do"....which we found out last night will include 2, TWO, of Tommy's portraits...Hannah and Jordan!!!! I am so thrilled for him. I hope, hope, hope that he will win an award. Both of them are so good and deserve to win. Maybe just maybe...fingers crossed! Pink boucle shawl photo above. I am adding a nice lacey knitted edging on it once done...I don't like boucle fringe as it knots up in itself and always looks untidy.

I'm reading Yarn Harlot's book "Knitting Rules"....what a hoot! I recommend it to all knitters...there's lots of good advice in it as well but geeeeeeze, was she hiding in my house and taking notes for this book?

I must get ready for the day job, sigh, and leave my little knitting world behind for eight hours...well, I will take the pink boucle to work on during my lunch, instead of lunch.

TTFN

Knitting News

MY FELTED JAR...on sock needles

I have been so busy lately that I've forgotten to post here but I will remedy that this morning.

I am teaching a lady at work to knit and she is doing a fine job. She making a very simple shrug in Homespun yarn by LionBrand. It's going to be quite pretty I think.

As for myself, I'm finishing up the Ladies Kilt Jacket-just the sleeves to go and then assemble and see how it looks then. I have a sneaky suspicion that my sister Pat would like it and not have me give it to her daughter. Well Jo doesn't know about it and I can make something else for her and now, will probably go ahead and wrap it up for Pat as an early B'day present. She's got the right figure for it as well and I think will suit her too.

Another thing I am working on is a felted jar to hold my knitting needles so that they do not disappear down the black hole of my knitting bag...along with markers, counters, yarn bobbins and stitch holders. I think I will make some smaller vessels as well to hold all these magical bits and bobs...now, how tidy and organized is that!!! I've still got to get this studio moved around and painted. Leslie is covering the chair cushion for me and making curtains to match so I really need to get these walls painted and set up in here so that it is more 'user friendly'!

And Moving Right Along.....

Finished up the left side of the Ladies Kilt Jacket tonight. I love it more and more and wish that I were younger and thinner and then I would have myself a new jacket! Haaaaaaaaaa Haaaaaaaa

Anyway, here is what is done so far and now I am off to cast on the right side and get going on that. Hope I will be finished this weekend with this jacket and get it posted here and in WC.

It's Wednesday, must be time for bed

Just a little PS at the end of the day-thought I would get more knitting done, but only a few rows what with cooking dinner, washing dishes, cleaning bedroom and having a nice long look at the Drops Design website. Now there is a lovely Website. Literally hundreds of free, gorgeous patterns to choose from...where would one start? Every needle in my basket would be filled if I were to try to make everything I wanted to make just from their Spring 07 collection. OMG, there are some little shrugs to die for and I'll be having some of those on my needles soon! Just lovely, lovely! There are also some men's sweaters that I want to take a good look at as well one of these days.
So now that it's Wednesday and I have no photo to post with progress I've made, I'm off to bed....soon enough I'll have to get up and get to work.